trans-fatty acid

or trans fat·ty ac·id

[ trans-fat-ee ]
/ ˈtrænsˌfæt i /

an unsaturated fatty acid formed by the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil, believed to raise blood cholesterol levels.

Origin of trans-fatty acid

1975–80; trans- (in the chemistry sense) + fatty acid

Words nearby trans-fatty acid

trans person, trans woman, trans-, trans-alaska pipeline, trans-fat, trans-fatty acid, trans-jordan, trans-jordanian, trans-mississippi, trans-new guinea phylum, trans-siberian railroad

British Dictionary definitions for trans-fatty acid

trans-fatty acid

trans fat

noun

a polyunsaturated fatty acid that has been converted from the cis-form by hydrogenation: used in the manufacture of margarine